Louisiana Mandates Masking for Vaccinated ‘Unless Person Is Home’

Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards (D) mandated Monday indoor masking effective August 4 for the vaccinated and unvaccinated “unless a person is in a home,” while the average seven day death rate from the virus is 14, according to Google’s coronavirus tracker.

“Today, I am reinstating Louisiana’s statewide mask mandate indoors for all people ages 5 & up as COVID-19 cases & hospitalizations continue to rise across Louisiana, threatening the ability of hospitals to deliver care,” Edwards said.

“Face masks that properly cover the wearer’s mouth and nose should be worn indoors at all times, unless a person is in a home, under the Governor’s statewide mask mandate, which will be in place until at least September 1,” the Governors statement continued.

State Health Officer Dr. Joseph Kanter said he reviewed the data and “showing the Delta variant is more than twice as transmissible as the original strains of COVID-19”:

Over the weekend we reviewed new data from the CDC showing that while vaccination reduces one’s chance of becoming infected with COVID-19, those who do become infected with the Delta variant despite being fully vaccinated are likely at risk of transmitting it to others. This new information and other recent data showing the Delta variant is more than twice as transmissible as the original strains of COVID-19 bolster our recommendation to the Governor to put a universal mask mandate in place immediately.

San Francisco on Monday also issued a mask mandate with the average death rate of 0.14 percent, according Google’s coronavirus tracker marked at August 1.

Monday’s announcements come shortly after Washington, DC’s, Mayor mandated the same measures last week in which the city currently has a 0.43 percent seven day average death rate, as of August 1, according to Google coronavirus tracker.

When the White House was questioned Tuesday as to why vaccinated individuals must wear face coverings, press secretary Jen Psaki stated the recommendations were due to the “transmissibility of the virus.”

“Because the public health leaders in our administration have made the determination, based on data, that that is a way to make sure they’re protected, their loved ones are protected,” she claimed. “That’s an extra step given the transmissibility of the virus.”